Property development, building restoration, and home improvement are sections of the building trade where the services of an architect will be required. Whilst you may hire professionals like these Cheshire based architects to help with the drawing and building of your new home or property, it is not just about this. This is because the role also requires social skills and knowledge of lots of other areas too. These include engineering, science, maths, and physics. You will also need to have drive and dedication to succeed. If we had to pick on one thing that an architect must have, it would be the ability to design.
So, this article will consider just what qualifications and skills an architect should possess, as well as what they should know about.
Education
Becoming an architect often requires individuals to complete a 3-5 year degree in architecture, this degree has to be recognized by the Architects Registration Board or similar authority. High grades in Math, English, and Science are often requirements for a degree in architecture. I would have thought that technical drawing would be useful, too. Many universities prefer candidates to have maths or science-related subjects before accepting them.
The maths subjects to pay particular attention to are geometry, trigonometry, and algebra, as these all play a vital role in architectural design. For instance, if a group of architects are working on a home construction project, they might make use of these calculations when forming their blueprints and initial house elevation sketch designs. They will also use them to calculate the probability when it comes to construction issues and bringing their vision into three-dimensional reality.
Other useful subjects relating to architecture include art, design, sculpture, photography, and art history.
Skills and Knowlege
The skills and knowledge an architect will need to possess or develop include design skills, building construction knowledge, reasoned and analytical thinking, attention to detail, and good communication skills. As an architect, you will need to have good customer service skills and be able to interpret the design ideas of your clients. You will also need to be up-to-date with your knowledge of planning and building regulations, which change over time.
Also, the best architects will have creativity in abundance, as well as an awareness of the practicalities of bringing a building project to life and of current market trends. An architect may also work with an archaeologist to restore heritage sites and oversee the work done by the workers, including conservation masonry, bricklaying, and lime mortar pointing in Yorkshire or other locations. Vernacular architecture restoration requires the assistance of a qualified professional who might understand the nitty-gritty and special design features of that era to successfully execute the procedure.
As with all occupations, a degree of initiative will be required as you’ll be often working with limitations. For example, when working with a home improvement project, budget is often the primary concern. Cutting construction material costs using sites like Raise could help in this regard, but make sure you know which elements of your project needs to be kept simple in order to keep with the budget specs.
Interesting Facts about Architects
When it comes to impressing at interviews, it does not hurt to have a few interesting facts about architects and architecture to hand.
For instance, it may not be many, even in the industry, that know that Imhotep was the first identified architect in history. He lived around 2600 BCE and served Djoser, an Egyptian pharaoh. To his credit, Imhotep designed the first Egyptian pyramid complex, which was the world’s first stone structure. He would inspire the more elaborate pyramids that were to come later.
For those looking for inspiration, the most famous architect in the world today is considered to be Frank Gehry. His most famous buildings include Disney Hall in Los Angeles, Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and MIT Stata Centre in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
So, if architecture is your business or you are thinking of entering it as a career, I hope that the above has been of interest to you. It is a wonderful thing when a design that appears on paper becomes a structure that then stands the test of time. That is down to a good design in the first place, of course. After that, its shape and architecture mean that everyone wants to keep it there to look at. Many a business has benefitted by attracting customers because of their business being housed in an iconic building. Workers inside those buildings find it a pleasure to attend work each day, knowing the history that surrounds where they are sitting or working. Good architecture is an inspiration to us all. So, to know the things that are important to become an architect is to follow in the footsteps of the great architects of the past whose work we continue to admire.
